Armed men suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria on Friday evening, May 15, 2026.
The schools targeted were Baptist Nursery & Primary School, Yawota; Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; and L.A. Primary School.
Over 30 people, including students and teachers, were abducted during the attacks. One teacher was killed.
Two days after the incident, one of the kidnapped teachers identified as Micheal Oyedokun, a mathematics teacher at Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele was beheaded and the video of the act went viral on social media. Among those kidnapped was 2-year-old Christianah Akanbi.
The tragedy that occurred just three weeks ago drew attention from local and international bodies. Yet despite ongoing military and police operations, no rescue has been carried out as of this report.
Human rights groups and prominent Nigerians are demanding the rescue and release of victims, plus the arrest of armed men who attacked schools and kidnapped teachers and students for ransom.
Twenty-two days after abducting children and teachers from public schools in Esinele, Yawota and Alawusa communities in Oriire LGA, the captors have reportedly presented a four-point set of demands as conditions for release.
WITHIN NIGERIA learned that the terrorists are demanding the release of detained commanders, an alleged ₦1 billion ransom to be paid into a bank account in the Republic of Benin, two Hilux vehicles, and the implementation of Sharia-related laws.
It was further learned that the commanders the terrorists who abducted students and teachers are seeking to have released are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar, and his deputy Abubakar Abba, also known as Isa Adam or Mahmud al-Nigeria.
Who are Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba?
Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba were initially known as illegal miners focused on solid minerals such as gold and tourmaline before they were lately identified as terrorists.
Usman and Abba are leaders of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena Fi Biladis Sudan, JAMBS, also known as Ansaru, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram.
Recall that Ansaru split from Boko Haram in 2012 over Abubakar Shekau’s excesses, particularly the killing of Muslim civilians, as well as disputes over leadership control, strategy, and alignment with Al-Qaeda forces.
However, both Usman and Abba were arrested between May and July 2025 for aiding and abetting terrorism in the country between 2013 and 2015. They are also infamously linked to the 2022 Kuje prison break.
The duo are currently standing trial on terrorism charges before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CR/464/2025. Their trial is scheduled to commence on January 15, 2026.
A check revealed that Usman was sentenced to 15 years in prison by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 11, 2025, after pleading guilty to one count of illegal mining, which he admitted he used to fund arms procurement for terrorism and kidnapping.
Mahmud Usman remains in DSS custody pending trial on those charges, while Abubakar Abba, who acted as his deputy, pleaded not guilty to all 32 counts, also standing trial before the same court.
